Rousseff says Brazil does not interfere with other countries

Brasília – President Dilma Rousseff said on Wednesday (August 28) that the achievements of Brazilian diplomacy are a result of the consistency and coherence of its principles, and that the State protects not only its citizens, but also foreigners: “We do not interfere in the life of other countries; we do not place other people’s lives in danger, no matter who they are – whether Brazilians or people of other nationalities. We adopt the strict concept of non-interventionism and we only tolerate exceptional actions when they’re performed for the preservation of human lives after they’ve been subjected to the appropriate scrutiny and are endorsed by the UN.”

This statement was made during the inauguration ceremony of the new minister of Foreign Relations, Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado.

Former foreign minister Anotonio Patriota’s replacement with Figueiredo took place during the crisis sparked by the removal of Bolivian senator Roger Pinto Molina from the Brazilian embassy in La Paz, where he had been sheltered for 15 months. His removal was planned by Bolivian chargé d’affaires Eduardo Saboia. Government representatives think the decision was apparently made on a personal basis, which represents a hierarchical breach. Furthermore, the Bolivian senator’s life was put in danger.

Rousseff praised Patriota and wished him good luck ahead of his new challenge as Brazil’s ambassador for the UN, in New York. “My administration must not and will not dispense with his experience and knowledge, so we’ll keep counting on his collaboration in the UN. Patriota’s challenges are of great relevance and urgency to Brazil.”

As regards the new minister, she emphasized Luiz Alberto Figueiredo Machado’s qualifications for his new position and said she has been a witness of his competence for a couple of years, due to his performance as a leader in important events like the COP-15 in Copenhagen, in 2009, and Rio+20, in 2012, in Rio de Janeiro.

According to the president, in order for Brazil to reinforce its importance in the international scenario, the country needs to adopt new standards of conduct: “Over the last years, Brazil’s overseas prestige increased considerably. Our country has found an active voice. We have become protagonists, and the world requires us to behave according to higher standards.”

Editors: Talita Cavalcante / Lícia Marques
Translators: Fabrício Ferreira